Series: Kentucky leads 14-12, but Louisville leads the modern series (since 1994) 12-8.

Last meeting: Louisville won 27-13 on Sept. 14, 2013, in Commonwealth Stadium.

Line: Louisville is favored by 131/2 points.

THREE KEY QUESTIONS

1. Can Kentucky seize an opportunity?

In theory, this game "sets up" perfectly for the Cats. UK enters the battle for the Governor's Cup off an open week; Louisville comes in off an emotional victory at Notre Dame last Saturday. Kentucky, however, is mired in a five-game losing skid. The Wildcats have not even been competitive in three of those five defeats — at LSU, Georgia and at Tennessee. Is an off week enough to heal UK psyches and get some growl back into the Cats?

2. Does UK have any hope of stopping the run?

The team that has rushed for the most yardage has claimed the Governor's Cup 18 straight years. That's probably not good for UK. In its five-game losing streak, Kentucky's run defense is surrendering a dispiriting 260.8 yards a game. In three of the five defeats (at LSU, Mississippi State and Georgia), UK has given up more than 300 yards rushing. Louisville, ranked No. 22 in this week's College Football Playoff ratings, has a stable of backs and a veteran offensive line. The Cardinals have had a rusher go for more than 100 yards in seven of their 11 games. To have any chance at an upset, Kentucky must slow down the Cardinals ground game.

A season ago, Kentucky took U of L by surprise by coming out in a 5-2 defensive front instead of its then-normal 4-3. It took Louisville the entire first half to figure out what UK was doing. Coming off an open week, with bowl eligibility hanging in the balance, Stoops and Kentucky offensive coordinator Neal Brown have every reason to throw every trick in their playbooks at Bobby Petrino's Cardinals.

THE MOOD

Is dispirited. In its five-game losing skid, Kentucky has not lost one game it was favored to win. However, it is worrisome that the Cats have been run off the field in three of those defeats. A Kentucky win over its archrival would make the Wildcats bowl-eligible and flip the narrative on the season in a dramatic manner. Even if they don't win, Mark Stoops' Cats need to play well enough to leave a better taste with the UK fan base (and Damien Harris) entering the offseason.